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Afghan–Sikh Wars
Azim Khan Syed Akbar Shah Sultan Mohammad Shah Akbar Khan | |commander2= Akali Baba Deep Singh Nawab Kapur Singh Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgharia Sardar Hari Singh Bhangi Sardar Charat Singh Sardar Maha Singh Baba Ala Singh Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab Misr Diwan Chand Jarnail Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa Sher Singh Sandhanwalia Kanwar Nau Nihal Singh Sardar Sham Singh Sardar Chattar Singh Sardar Sher Singh Kharak Singh Mahan Singh Mirpuri Akali Phula Singh Akali Sadhu Singh Akali Naina Singh Sardar Lehna Singh Sardar Ranjodh Singh Jean-Francois Allard Jean-Baptiste Ventura Claude Auguste Court |strength1= During Ahmad Shah Durrani's invasions:Estimated 100,000 each time During invasions of Zaman Shah Durrani: Estimated 60,000 During Maharaja Ranjit Singh's counterattack: Estimated 180,000 (including tribes) |strength2= During Ahmad Shah Durrani's early invasions: 50,000 Khalsa During late Ahmad Shah Abdali invasions: Estimated 60,000 Misldar Army:Estimated 100,000 Sikh Empire period: 120,000. |casualties1= First Phase: Estimated 56,000 Second Phase: Estimated 65,000 Third Phase: Estimated 60,000 |casualties2='First Phase': Estimated 34,000 Second Phase: Estimated 56,000 Third Phase: Estimated 32,000 }} The Afghan–Sikh wars were a series of wars between the Afghan invaders of India, the Durrani Empire, and the Sikh Empire. The conflict had its origins stemming from the days of the Dal Khalsa. Prior to this war, the Sikh holocaust of 1762 occurred, which was the mass killing of Sikhs by the Durrani Empire, due to their leader Ahmad Shah Durrani. Also, the martyrdom of Baba Deep Singh led to these events. In 1757, Ahmad Shah Durrani came to loot India for a fourth time,Khushwant Singh, A History of the Sikhs, Volume I: 1469-1839, Delhi, Oxford University Press, 1978, pp. 144-45. but he was so harassed by the bands of Sikh fighters, so he blew up the Golden Temple or Harmandir Sahib. Baba Deep Singh Ji, then set out to Harmandir Sahib, with a body of Sikhs, approximating to about 5000. Wielding his double edged sword, he fought. According to tradition, his head had been cut off and he wielded his head in one hand and his sword in the other, he wouldn't die until he hadn't returned control of Harmandir Sahib to the Sikhs Khushwant Singh, A History of the Sikhs, Volume I: 1469-1839, Delhi, Oxford University Press, 1978, p. 145; K.S. Thapar, “Baba Dip Singh”, The Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Volume I, Patiala, Punjabi University, 1995, p. 588. __TOC__ Battle of Attock This war started with the Battle of Attock, also known as the Battle of Chuch or the Battle of Haidru, this was the first significant Sikh victory over the Durrani Empire. In the aftermath of this battle, Sikhs had seized the control of Attock District from the Durranis. After his defeat at Attock, Fateh Khan, the vizier of Kabul, fought off an attempt by Ali Shah, the ruler of Persia, and his son Ali Mirza to capture the Durrani province of Herat, which left their newly captured province of Kashmir open to attack.Cunningham 1918, p. 152 Battle of Multan The Battle of Multan was the 2nd battle in the Afghan–Sikh wars, which the Sikhs had also won. This started in March 1818 and ended 2 June 1818.Jaques 2006, p. 81 This battle ended the Durrani influence in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, and led to Sikhs holding the city of Peshawar. Battle of Shopian The Battle of Shopian was different from the first two battles, due to it taking place in the Kashmir region, more specifically Shopian. This was the 3rd battle in the Afghan–Sikh wars and the 3rd Sikh victory. This battle included the 1819 Kashmir expedition, which led to Kashmir being annexed to the Sikh Empire.Chopra 1928, p. 26 After taking Srinagar, the Sikh army faced no major opposition in conquering Kashmir. The Sikh Empire had controlled all of Kashmir.Chopra 1928, p. 26 Battle of Nowshera The Battle of Nowshera wasn't fought by the Durranis, but by a Pashtun force with support of the Durranis. This was the 4th battle in the Afghan–Sikh wars and 4th Sikh victory.Ganda Singh (1986) Maharaja Ranjit Singh: First Death Centenary Memorial. Nirmal Publishers After this, the Sikhs again came in possession of Peshawar, along with the whole Khyber Pass. With this victory, Maharaja Ranjit Singh planned to eventually push further west and take the Afghan capital of Kabul itself. Battle of Jamrud The Battle of Jamrud was the 5th and foremost battle within the Afghan–Sikh wars. The Afghans had been losing their long held territories to Sikhs over the preceding years due to internal conflicts, and had seen their once mighty empire shrink with the loss of the Punjab region, Multan, Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The loss of Peshawar was the most personal as the inhabitants of the region were fellow Pashtuns and the city was the second capital of Afghanistan, so the Afghans set to reclaim it.The Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-century Land Warfare: An Illustrated World View, by Byron Farwell Published by W.W. Norton, 2001. ISBN 0-393-04770-9, ISBN 978-0-393-04770-7. As a result of this battle, Jamrud and the Khyber pass became the western limits of Sikh influence. References Category:Wars involving Afghanistan Category:Wars involving India Category:History of the Durrani Empire Category:Sikh Empire Category:Battles involving the Sikhs